The murder of five U.S. soldiers by their comrade exposes the depth of the military's mental health troubles. Elspeth Reeve on why the culture of humiliation and stigma makes matters worse.
Read the entire story by clicking here.
This is a story about "unit watch" submitted by Richard Stites.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Tillmans: Senate should scrutinize McChrystal
By Lara Jakes - The Associated PressPosted : Tuesday May 12, 2009 19:42:12 EDT
WASHINGTON — The parents of slain Army Ranger and NFL star Pat Tillman voiced concerns Tuesday that the general who played a role in mischaracterizing his death could be put in charge of military operations in Afghanistan.
In a brief interview with The Associated Press, Pat Tillman Sr. accused Lt. Gen. Stanley McChrystal of covering up the circumstances of the 2004 slaying.
“I do believe that guy participated in a falsified homicide investigation,” Pat Tillman Sr. said.
Separately, Mary Tillman called it “imperative” that McChrystal’s record be carefully considered before he is confirmed.
Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell said Defense Secretary Robert Gates has complete confidence in McChrystal, whom he hopes can be confirmed by the Senate before month’s end.
“We feel terrible for what the Tillman family went through, but this matter has been investigated thoroughly by the Pentagon, by the Congress, by outside experts, and all of them have come to the same conclusion: that there was no wrongdoing by Gen. McChrystal,” Morrell said.
Aides to the top Democrat and Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, which will consider the nomination, said they were unaware of any opposition to McChrystal.
McChrystal, a former “black ops” special forces chief credited with nabbing one of the most-wanted fugitives in Iraq, was tapped Monday to lead U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan. If confirmed by the Senate, he would replace Gen. David McKiernan, who was fired in an unusual wartime shake-up.
In April 2004, McChrystal approved paperwork awarding Tillman a Silver Star after he was killed by enemy fire — even though he suspected the Ranger had died by fratricide, according to Pentagon testimony later obtained by AP.
The testimony showed that McChrystal sent a memo to top generals imploring “our nation’s leaders,” specifically the president, to avoid cribbing the “devastating enemy fire” explanation from the award citation for their speeches. In 2007, the Army overruled a Pentagon recommendation that McChrystal be held accountable for his “misleading” actions.
In a book published last year, Mary Tillman accused McChrystal of helping create the false story line that she said “diminished Pat’s true actions.”
Her one-sentence e-mail to AP on Tuesday said: “It is imperative that Lt. General McChrystal be scrutinized carefully during the Senate hearings.”
Last year, however, the Senate unanimously approved promoting McChrystal from a two-star general to a three-star general as director of the Pentagon’s Joint Staff.
Similarly, this time around, Senate Armed Services Chairman Carl Levin, D-Mich., “does not foresee any problems with Gen. McChrystal’s confirmation” with the committee, a Levin aide said Tuesday.
Sen. John McCain of Arizona, the committee’s top Republican, backs the decision to change leadership in Afghanistan and will support McChrystal’s nomination, said Brooke Buchanan, a McCain spokeswoman.
McCain was highly critical of the Army’s handling of the Tillman investigation, and in April 2007 he called the service’s actions “inexcusable and unconscionable.”
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/05/ap_tillmans_mcchrystal_051209/
--submitted by Patti Woodard
This is an important story because it points out that nearly every family has been told a web of lies by the military about the non-combat deaths of their loved ones. Why? Is this a part of military culture? What is the purpose? We just want the truth, plain and simple.
Editor
WASHINGTON — The parents of slain Army Ranger and NFL star Pat Tillman voiced concerns Tuesday that the general who played a role in mischaracterizing his death could be put in charge of military operations in Afghanistan.
In a brief interview with The Associated Press, Pat Tillman Sr. accused Lt. Gen. Stanley McChrystal of covering up the circumstances of the 2004 slaying.
“I do believe that guy participated in a falsified homicide investigation,” Pat Tillman Sr. said.
Separately, Mary Tillman called it “imperative” that McChrystal’s record be carefully considered before he is confirmed.
Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell said Defense Secretary Robert Gates has complete confidence in McChrystal, whom he hopes can be confirmed by the Senate before month’s end.
“We feel terrible for what the Tillman family went through, but this matter has been investigated thoroughly by the Pentagon, by the Congress, by outside experts, and all of them have come to the same conclusion: that there was no wrongdoing by Gen. McChrystal,” Morrell said.
Aides to the top Democrat and Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, which will consider the nomination, said they were unaware of any opposition to McChrystal.
McChrystal, a former “black ops” special forces chief credited with nabbing one of the most-wanted fugitives in Iraq, was tapped Monday to lead U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan. If confirmed by the Senate, he would replace Gen. David McKiernan, who was fired in an unusual wartime shake-up.
In April 2004, McChrystal approved paperwork awarding Tillman a Silver Star after he was killed by enemy fire — even though he suspected the Ranger had died by fratricide, according to Pentagon testimony later obtained by AP.
The testimony showed that McChrystal sent a memo to top generals imploring “our nation’s leaders,” specifically the president, to avoid cribbing the “devastating enemy fire” explanation from the award citation for their speeches. In 2007, the Army overruled a Pentagon recommendation that McChrystal be held accountable for his “misleading” actions.
In a book published last year, Mary Tillman accused McChrystal of helping create the false story line that she said “diminished Pat’s true actions.”
Her one-sentence e-mail to AP on Tuesday said: “It is imperative that Lt. General McChrystal be scrutinized carefully during the Senate hearings.”
Last year, however, the Senate unanimously approved promoting McChrystal from a two-star general to a three-star general as director of the Pentagon’s Joint Staff.
Similarly, this time around, Senate Armed Services Chairman Carl Levin, D-Mich., “does not foresee any problems with Gen. McChrystal’s confirmation” with the committee, a Levin aide said Tuesday.
Sen. John McCain of Arizona, the committee’s top Republican, backs the decision to change leadership in Afghanistan and will support McChrystal’s nomination, said Brooke Buchanan, a McCain spokeswoman.
McCain was highly critical of the Army’s handling of the Tillman investigation, and in April 2007 he called the service’s actions “inexcusable and unconscionable.”
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/05/ap_tillmans_mcchrystal_051209/
--submitted by Patti Woodard
This is an important story because it points out that nearly every family has been told a web of lies by the military about the non-combat deaths of their loved ones. Why? Is this a part of military culture? What is the purpose? We just want the truth, plain and simple.
Editor
Monday, May 11, 2009
Reducing Suicide Rates in The Military
Army Major General Mark Graham lost two sons who were serving in the military. In 2003, Graham's 21-year-old son Kevin, a top ROTC cadet at the University of Kentucky, hanged himself after battling depression. Less than a year later, 23-year-old Jeff died when a roadside bomb exploded in Iraq.
Read the entire interview or listen by clicking here.
Major General Graham is the commander of Ft. Carson in Colorado.
Read the entire interview or listen by clicking here.
Major General Graham is the commander of Ft. Carson in Colorado.
U.S. soldier kills 5 fellow Americans at Baghdad base
Monday, May 04, 2009
Links to Audio of Radio Interviews
Some of our members gave radio interviews on the topic of improperly investigated non-combat deaths. To access the MP3 podcasts, click here.
Sunday, May 03, 2009
Accidental deaths plaguing US in Iraq
Military aiming to reduce toll
By Bryan Bender Globe Staff / May 3, 2009
WASHINGTON - The 130,000 American troops serving in Iraq are more likely to die in accidents, from natural causes, or in other "nonhostile" incidents than at the hands of insurgents, according to Defense Department statistics for the past eight months ending in April.
Read the entire story by clicking here.
By Bryan Bender Globe Staff / May 3, 2009
WASHINGTON - The 130,000 American troops serving in Iraq are more likely to die in accidents, from natural causes, or in other "nonhostile" incidents than at the hands of insurgents, according to Defense Department statistics for the past eight months ending in April.
Read the entire story by clicking here.
Friday, May 01, 2009
Schofield sergeant in Iraq charged in death of fellow soldier
A 29-year-old Schofield Barracks soldier has been charged with accidentally shooting and killing a fellow 25th Infantry Division soldier in Iraq three months ago.
Read the entire story by clicking here.
Read the entire story by clicking here.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Thursday, April 23, 2009
US Soldiers Being Killed by Psychiatric Drugs
“I believe there are many more soldiers and Marines who have died in their sleep just like the four in West Virginia,” said Mr. White, a retired high school principal. “I think what we have found is just the tip of the iceberg, but we need more national publicity to help us find others who have lost loved ones and are looking for answers.”
Washington Times
EXCLUSIVE: After death of son, dad takes cases to Capitol Hill
HURRICANE, W.Va.
Andrea Billups and Audrey HudsonThursday, November 13, 2008
A West Virginia man whose son survived the battlefields of Iraq only to die in his sleep at home is crusading to find other military families whose loved ones also have died after taking drugs prescribed for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Read the entire story by clicking here.
Washington Times
EXCLUSIVE: After death of son, dad takes cases to Capitol Hill
HURRICANE, W.Va.
Andrea Billups and Audrey HudsonThursday, November 13, 2008
A West Virginia man whose son survived the battlefields of Iraq only to die in his sleep at home is crusading to find other military families whose loved ones also have died after taking drugs prescribed for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Read the entire story by clicking here.
Monday, April 20, 2009
VA: 3 patients HIV-positive after clinic mistakes
Three patients exposed to contaminated medical equipment at Veterans Affairs hospitals have tested positive for HIV, the agency said Friday.
Initial tests show one patient each from VA medical facilities in Murfreesboro, Tenn.; Augusta, Ga.; and Miami has the virus that causes AIDS, according to a VA statement.
The three cases included one positive HIV test reported earlier this month, but the VA didn't identify the facility involved at the time.
The patients are among more than 10,000 getting tested because they were treated with endoscopic equipment that wasn't properly sterilized and exposed them to other people's body fluids.
Read the entire story by clicking here.
Initial tests show one patient each from VA medical facilities in Murfreesboro, Tenn.; Augusta, Ga.; and Miami has the virus that causes AIDS, according to a VA statement.
The three cases included one positive HIV test reported earlier this month, but the VA didn't identify the facility involved at the time.
The patients are among more than 10,000 getting tested because they were treated with endoscopic equipment that wasn't properly sterilized and exposed them to other people's body fluids.
Read the entire story by clicking here.
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Two Wounded GIs Die Mysteriously at BAMC
The Army is investigating the deaths of two soldiers who were recovering from wounds at Brooke Army Medical Center, one of them a survivor of a car bomb blast in Baghdad.
Chief Warrant Officer 1 Judson Erik Mount and Spc. Craig Reginald Hamilton died April 7 and March 27, respectively, prompting criminal intelligence division investigations and autopsies, the Army said Thursday.
Read the entire article by clicking here.
-- submitted by Lois Vanderbur
Chief Warrant Officer 1 Judson Erik Mount and Spc. Craig Reginald Hamilton died April 7 and March 27, respectively, prompting criminal intelligence division investigations and autopsies, the Army said Thursday.
Read the entire article by clicking here.
-- submitted by Lois Vanderbur
Friday, April 10, 2009
Ceremony to Recognize Vets Not Eligible for Vietnam Wall Inclusion
American Forces Press Service
2009-04-09
WASHINGTON, April 9, 2009 - One-hundred twenty-three American heroes from the Vietnam War era will be honored posthumously this month during the annual In Memory Day ceremony, according to Jan C. Scruggs, founder and president of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund.
"In Memory Day" was created to pay tribute to the men and women who died prematurely from noncombat injuries and emotional suffering caused directly by the Vietnam War, but who are not eligible to have their names inscribed on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
A list of the honorees and their hometowns is available at http://www.vvmf.org/index.cfm?SectionID=774.
Read the rest of the story by clicking here.
2009-04-09
WASHINGTON, April 9, 2009 - One-hundred twenty-three American heroes from the Vietnam War era will be honored posthumously this month during the annual In Memory Day ceremony, according to Jan C. Scruggs, founder and president of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund.
"In Memory Day" was created to pay tribute to the men and women who died prematurely from noncombat injuries and emotional suffering caused directly by the Vietnam War, but who are not eligible to have their names inscribed on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
A list of the honorees and their hometowns is available at http://www.vvmf.org/index.cfm?SectionID=774.
Read the rest of the story by clicking here.
Thursday, April 09, 2009
"I am under a lot of pressure to not diagnose PTSD"
A secret recording reveals the Army may be pushing its medical staff not to diagnose post-traumatic stress disorder. The Army and Senate have ignored the implications.
Editor's note: Last June, during a medical appointment, a patient named "Sgt. X" recorded an Army psychologist at Fort Carson, Colo., saying that he was under pressure not to diagnose combat veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder. Listen to a segment of the tape here.
By Michael de Yoanna and Mark Benjamin
To read the entire article in Salon, click here.
Editor's note: Last June, during a medical appointment, a patient named "Sgt. X" recorded an Army psychologist at Fort Carson, Colo., saying that he was under pressure not to diagnose combat veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder. Listen to a segment of the tape here.
By Michael de Yoanna and Mark Benjamin
To read the entire article in Salon, click here.
Sunday, April 05, 2009
Mysterious death of Kendall Marine in Iraq is probed
Department of Defense officials say few details will be available in the coming weeks about the mysterious death of a U.S. Marine from Miami-Dade County who was shot dead while at a military facility in Iraq's Anbar province
Lance Cpl. Nelson M. Lantigua, 20, was killed on March 31 ''as a result of a nonhostile incident,'' according to a report released by the U.S. Marine Public Affairs Office
Family members confirmed reports Lantigua was found dead is his bed.
Read the rest of the story by clicking here
Lance Cpl. Nelson M. Lantigua, 20, was killed on March 31 ''as a result of a nonhostile incident,'' according to a report released by the U.S. Marine Public Affairs Office
Family members confirmed reports Lantigua was found dead is his bed.
Read the rest of the story by clicking here
Friday, April 03, 2009
Army lied about how my son died in Iraq: Friendly-fire victim was 'misidentified' as enemy gunman
WASHINGTON - Army brass in Iraq whitewashed an incident of a soldier killed by his own lieutenant by blaming the dead hero, stonewalling his family and promoting his killer, the Daily News has learned.
The friendly-fire victim, Pfc. David Sharrett, 27, of Oakton, Va., was "misidentified" by 1stLt. Timothy Hanson as an enemy gunman during a botched night raid Jan. 16, 2008, against an Al Qaeda in Iraq stronghold north of Baghdad, the Army belatedly acknowledged.
Sharrett bled to death as his buddies searched frantically for him for 25 minutes after the firefight ended.
For four months after the Army knew the truth, it still insisted to Sharrett's father that he was killed by enemy fire - and gave only atemporary wrist slap to Hanson under pressure from the families of Sharrett and two other G.I.s killed in the clash.
After The News uncovered new video evidence and raised questions, a 101st Airborne Division general said the probe into Sharrett's death may reopen.
"The final decisions and dispositions have yet to be made," Brig. Gen. Steve Townsend said.
Read the whole story by clicking here.
The friendly-fire victim, Pfc. David Sharrett, 27, of Oakton, Va., was "misidentified" by 1stLt. Timothy Hanson as an enemy gunman during a botched night raid Jan. 16, 2008, against an Al Qaeda in Iraq stronghold north of Baghdad, the Army belatedly acknowledged.
Sharrett bled to death as his buddies searched frantically for him for 25 minutes after the firefight ended.
For four months after the Army knew the truth, it still insisted to Sharrett's father that he was killed by enemy fire - and gave only atemporary wrist slap to Hanson under pressure from the families of Sharrett and two other G.I.s killed in the clash.
After The News uncovered new video evidence and raised questions, a 101st Airborne Division general said the probe into Sharrett's death may reopen.
"The final decisions and dispositions have yet to be made," Brig. Gen. Steve Townsend said.
Read the whole story by clicking here.
Monday, March 30, 2009
US Troops Still Dodging Deadly Showers
Military races to inspect more than 90,000 facilities to reduce deadly threat
WASHINGTON - The military is racing to inspect more than 90,000 U.S.-run facilities across Iraq to reduce a deadly threat troops face far off the battlefield: electrocution or shock while showering or using appliances.
Pfc. Justin Shults shows some of the burn wounds he received after being electrocuted in a shower facility in Iraq, in this photo taken in January in San Antonio, Texas. Shults suffered third-degree burns on 13-percent of his body. He is suing contractor KBR Inc. for faulty wiring of the facility. (Kin Man Hui / San Antonio Express-News via AP) About one-third of the inspections so far have turned up major electrical problems, according to interviews and an internal military document obtained by The Associated Press. Half of the problems they found have since been fixed but about 65,000 facilities still need to be inspected, which could take the rest of this year. Senior Pentagon officials were on Capitol Hill this week for briefings on the findings
Read the whole story by clicking here.
US troops in Iraq victims of faulty wiring from The Guardian (UK)
Shoddy wiring 'everywhere' on Iraq bases, Army inspector says CNN
Editor's note: If it were not for the lawsuit against KBR by the Maseth family, I doubt that these serious, deadly problems would ever be addressed. Unfortunately in the US, it takes a civil lawsuit to make the government meet their responsibilities to keep military personnel safe.
The civil lawsuit has gotten the attention of the media, and sometimes that is the only way that justice is addressed in America.
Braveheart
WASHINGTON - The military is racing to inspect more than 90,000 U.S.-run facilities across Iraq to reduce a deadly threat troops face far off the battlefield: electrocution or shock while showering or using appliances.
Pfc. Justin Shults shows some of the burn wounds he received after being electrocuted in a shower facility in Iraq, in this photo taken in January in San Antonio, Texas. Shults suffered third-degree burns on 13-percent of his body. He is suing contractor KBR Inc. for faulty wiring of the facility. (Kin Man Hui / San Antonio Express-News via AP) About one-third of the inspections so far have turned up major electrical problems, according to interviews and an internal military document obtained by The Associated Press. Half of the problems they found have since been fixed but about 65,000 facilities still need to be inspected, which could take the rest of this year. Senior Pentagon officials were on Capitol Hill this week for briefings on the findings
Read the whole story by clicking here.
US troops in Iraq victims of faulty wiring from The Guardian (UK)
Shoddy wiring 'everywhere' on Iraq bases, Army inspector says CNN
Editor's note: If it were not for the lawsuit against KBR by the Maseth family, I doubt that these serious, deadly problems would ever be addressed. Unfortunately in the US, it takes a civil lawsuit to make the government meet their responsibilities to keep military personnel safe.
The civil lawsuit has gotten the attention of the media, and sometimes that is the only way that justice is addressed in America.
Braveheart
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Marine’s Family Asks for Right to Sue Government for Medical Malpractice
Thursday, March 26, 2009 :: Staff infoZine
By Alex Hering - Marine Sgt. Carmelo Rodriguez fought in Iraq but lost his life fighting a different war.
Washington, D.C. - infoZine - Scripps Howard Foundation Wire - Cancer that went undiagnosed for nearly nine years killed the 29-year-old Rodriguez, of Ellenville, N.Y., said his sister, who testified about her family's story Tuesday before the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Commercial and Administrative Law.
"Carmelo wanted his story to be heard, even if his life couldn't be saved. He wanted to ensure that what happened to him would not happen to another service member," Ivette Rodriguez said.
To read the entire story, click here.
By Alex Hering - Marine Sgt. Carmelo Rodriguez fought in Iraq but lost his life fighting a different war.
Washington, D.C. - infoZine - Scripps Howard Foundation Wire - Cancer that went undiagnosed for nearly nine years killed the 29-year-old Rodriguez, of Ellenville, N.Y., said his sister, who testified about her family's story Tuesday before the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Commercial and Administrative Law.
"Carmelo wanted his story to be heard, even if his life couldn't be saved. He wanted to ensure that what happened to him would not happen to another service member," Ivette Rodriguez said.
To read the entire story, click here.
Friday, March 20, 2009
Developments in Maseth Case
KBR keeps witness info concealed, lawyer says 18 Mar 2009 A lawyer for the parents of an electrocuted soldier on Tuesday accused defense contractor KBR Inc. of concealing information from unnamed witnesses interviewed after his 2008 death in Iraq. Court papers show those witnesses might be current or former KBR employees and subcontractors... who performed electrical work in the Radwaniyah Palace Complex in Baghdad, where Staff Sgt. Ryan Maseth, 24, of Shaler, died Jan. 2, 2008. Records show his death is one of 18 electrocutions in Iraq since 2003.
Filing: Faulty pump installed by KBR 13 Mar 2009 A rooftop pump supplying water to a shower that electrocuted a Shaler soldier was installed by a plumber working in Iraq under defense contractor KBR Inc. in 2006, according to papers filed in U.S. District Court. Staff Sgt. Ryan Maseth, 24, a decorated Green Beret, died Jan. 2, 2008, when an electrical current flowed through pipes and charged the water of his shower in the Radwaniyah Palace Complex in Baghdad. Papers filed by KBR's Pittsburgh counsel, attorney Joseph Luciana III, include an e-mail from an Army investigator who said a KBR plumber admitted installing the pump atop Maseth's living quarters.
Filing: Faulty pump installed by KBR 13 Mar 2009 A rooftop pump supplying water to a shower that electrocuted a Shaler soldier was installed by a plumber working in Iraq under defense contractor KBR Inc. in 2006, according to papers filed in U.S. District Court. Staff Sgt. Ryan Maseth, 24, a decorated Green Beret, died Jan. 2, 2008, when an electrical current flowed through pipes and charged the water of his shower in the Radwaniyah Palace Complex in Baghdad. Papers filed by KBR's Pittsburgh counsel, attorney Joseph Luciana III, include an e-mail from an Army investigator who said a KBR plumber admitted installing the pump atop Maseth's living quarters.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Stephen Madison Story
Click here to go to Ms. Sparky's blog to read about a soldier scalded by hot water in Iraq, who eventually died of complications.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)